"From the very first part of the construction project, it was messed up," said Robert Rowells. He's talking about his dream home in Lakeview that's turned into a construction nightmare.

The home was supposed to be complete this month, but instead of moving in Rowells is finishing the job himself.

His front stairs have to be redone, the pool unfinished and his money is gone.

"He has taken my money. I got a construction loan to build this house," Rowells said.

He's talking about his former contractor Steven Estess who goes by the name Hunter. Rowells says the sub-contractors on the job are hunting for their money. They have not been paid and now he's taking phone calls.

While Rowells is concerned about the bricks at his home, Estess is behind bars. He was arrested in Monday for writing bad checks. After his release from Orleans Parish Prison, he was picked up again in St. Tammany Parish on similar charges and forgery.

"He is incapable of telling the truth. He believes his own lies he truly does," Rowells said.

He has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars but still considers himself one of the lucky ones.

Construction on a home on Fleur de Lis Drive started more than two years ago and is far from being complete. Another home on Walker Avenue started construction in April, but only a bulldozer sits on the property. More than a half dozen homeowners in the area say Estess has taken their money and has not finished the work.

"I fired him over the phone. I said do not step foot on my property. I'm tired of you telling me you are going to make it right and you don't make it right," Rowells said.

A CONTRACTOR IS BEHIND BARS.. AS MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN HOMES IN THE LAKEVIEW AREA REMAIN UNFINISHED. NOW HOMEOWNERS ARE PUSHING FOR A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. THE HEAD OF ESTESS CONTRACTORS IS BEING HELD IN ST TAMMANY PARISH JAIL TONIGHT... A DAY AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM ORLEANS PARISH PRISON. WDSU REPORTER GINA SWANSON IS LIVE AT TEN TONIGHT AND SHE SPOKE TO HOMEOWNERS WHO PLAN TO GET THE D-A'S OFFICE INVOLVED, GINA? SCOTT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SOME CASES. WITH HOMEOWNERS WHO SAY, THEIR SLAB WAS NOT POURED CORRECTLY, THEIR STAIRS DON'T MEET CODE, PIPES WERE BUSTED...THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE OUT OF MONEY AND PLAN TO TAKE THE ISSUE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. from the very first part of the construction project it was messed up ROBERT ROWELL'S LAKEVIEW HOME WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETE THIS MONTH... BUT INSTEAD OF MOVING IN HE'S FINISHING THE JOB HIMSELF... LITERALLY BRICK BY BRICK. HIS FRONT STAIRS HAVE TO BE RE-DONE, THE POOL UNFINISHED AND HIS MONEY IS GONE. he has taken my money I got a construction loan to build this house. HE'S TALKING ABOUT HIS FORMER CONTRACTOR STEVEN ESTESS...WHO GOES BY THE NAME HUNTER. BUT ROWELLS SAYS THE SUB CONTRACTORS ON THE JOB ARE HUNTING FOR THEIR MONEY. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PAID AND NOW HE'S TAKING PHONE CALLS. lumber, granite, flooring, siding, electrician, plumber, painter, drywall, suppliers, millwork, masonry products WHILE ROWELLS IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE BRICKS AT HIS HOME, THE CONTRACTOR IS BEHIND BARS...ARRESTED MONDAY FOR WRITING BAD CHECKS IN ORLEANS PARISH. AFTER HIS RELEASE. HE WAS PICKED UP IN ST. TAMMANY FOR SIMILAR CHARGES AND FORGERY. he is incapable of telling the truth he believes his own lies he truly does EVEN THOUGH ROWELL'S IS OUT OF A LOT OF MONEY hundreds of thousands HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. CONSTRUCTION ON THIS LAKEVIEW HOME STARTED MORE THAN 2 YEARS AGO AND IS FAR FROM BEING COMPLETE. THIS ONE JUST STARTED IN APRIL. MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN HOMEOWNERS IN THE AREA SAY ESTESS HAS TAKEN THEIR MONEY AND NOT FINISHED THE WORK. I fired him over the phone I said do not step foot on my property. Im tired of you telling me you are going to make it right and you don't make it right THE PROPERTY OWNERS PLAN TO TAKE THIS TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AND THEY HAVE THIS TO SAY ABOUT THEIR CONTRACTOR he better get used to being in jail WE TALKED TO ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING STEVEN "HUNTER" ESTESS THIS AFTERNOON BY PHONE. HE TELLS US QUOTE "MR. ESTESS HAS BEEN ARRESTED. HE WAS COOPERATING WITH THE INVESTIGATION PRIOR TO HIS ARREST AND WILL CONTINUE TO COOPERATE FOR THE DURATION OF THE INVESTIGATION." A LAWSUIT WAS FILED AGAINST ESTESS CONTRACTORS EARLIER THIS YEAR...IN JEFFERSON PARISH BY A COUPLE WHO SAYS THEY HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE...WIT H THE COMPANY. ESTESS WILL APPEAR IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH COURT TOMORROW MORNING